Educational Science

1998 Study Linking Autism to Vaccines Was an 'Elaborate Fraud'

A landmark study linking the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine with autism was an elaborate fraud, according to a new article in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). The original study, published in 1998 in the journal Lancet by former doctor Andrew Wakefield, was retracted in February of last year...

Autism May Be Linked to Placenta Abnormalities

Children at an increased risk of autism may have abnormal structures in the placenta that can be detected at birth, a new study finds. The findings suggest behavioral interventions aimed at social and motor skill development in these children could be started right away, the researchers said. Studies have shown...

Andrew Wakefield, who wrote the now-discredited 1998 study claiming a link between autism and a commonly administered vaccine, quietly planned businesses in Britain meant to capitalize on his findings, according to a new article. The article was published today (Jan. 11) in the British Medical Journal as one of a...

Could a Blood Test Detect Autism? Study Aims to Answer

A simple blood test might be able to reveal whether a child has autism, according to researchers who recently launched a study to evaluate such a test. The study, which began this week and involves 660 participants at 20 facilities around the United States, will examine whether the test can...

Rare Form of Autism Might Benefit from Nutrition Supplement

People who have a very rare form of autism may benefit from treatment with a common nutritional supplement, a new study suggests. The results show some people who have symptoms of both autism and epilepsy have a rare genetic mutation that causes them to have abnormally low levels of essential...

Diabetes, Obesity During Pregnancy Linked with Autism, Developmental Delays in Children

Women who are obese or have diabetes while they are pregnant may be more likely to have a child with autism or developmental delays, a new study reports. Though the study does not show them to be a cause of children's developmental difficulties, it is the first time a strong...

Weight-Loss Drug May Improve Autism-Style Symptoms

Low doses of a weight-loss drug could reverse many of the autismlike symptoms of a condition called fragile X syndrome, new study in mice suggests. The drug, called rimonabant, blocks receptors that are activated by marijuana in the brain. Mice treated with the drug in the study showed improved memory...

Autism Linked to Fever or Flu in Pregnancy

Having a fever or flu in pregnancy may be linked with the development of autism in children, a new study suggests. While researchers are hesitant to draw strong conclusions, the study is at least the second showing such a link. The researchers followed mothers in Denmark and the nearly 97,000...

Flame Retardants' Affect on Fetus May Trigger Autism

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Exposure to even low levels of flame retardants may affect the brain of a developing fetus and possibly contribute to autism, new findings in mice suggest. In the study, female mice exposed to a particular flame-retardant chemical in utero and during lactation were less social, compared...